Monday, August 17, 2020
Tuesday, May 8, 2018
Boynton Beach, Daytona Beach, St. Augustine, to Jacksonville
The rest of the trip up the ICW was anticlimactic. Protected from the 20 knot offshore winds we got little salt spray except for when crossing the open bays, even then Betsy easily handled the cross winds as we opened her up to 18 knots and skimmed across the short choppy water.
Manatees drink fresh water from a leak in a water hose. Daytona City Marina.
Coming down with a "flu like" illness of nausea, joint pains, stomach pains and vomiting, I wasn't much use so Beth took over the helm. As she got more experience her moans of anxiety quieted and only aroused me when she felt uncomfortable passing a boat or narrow bridge. By the time we entered the Sebastian River to tie up at Rivers Edge Marina in St. Augustine I was well enough to help her with the swiftly moving current to get along side the T dock. The more Beth handles the boat the better and more comfortable she gets.....Maybe she can be captain for a while and I can be admiral!....NOT!
We left St Augustine early the next morning and flew up the St. John's River to Jacksonville. It seems that once the urge to get home strikes, little else matters and the push is on. Fortunately the Huckins crew were waiting on the dock to help us get tied up because, the wind was up and the current was running strong such that it took several attempts to back Betsy into her covered slip.
Sophie's last ride until the next adventure!
Once settled in, Dave one of the mechanics who worked on Betsy's refit and who installed the Simrad navigation system stepped on board and immediately went to work addressing all the issues I was blabbering about. He immediately fixed the packing gland leak, turning the big nut by hand!.... Apparently I couldn't see one of the two cotter pins that was preventing me from turning the nut with a monkey wrench! A list of repairs was generated as Beth began cleaning the boat inside and packing for our return to Port St. Joe.
A secure nights rest had us both in much better spirits the next day. Sophie and Spencer both seem to like the local groomer so Beth had her give them their summer cuts before we loaded them into the car for our 4 hour drive back home.
As we drove we talked about the Exumas, the beauty of the clear turquoise water, the sandy beaches, the friendly people of Staniel Cay and Nassau, the fun of snorkeling Thunderball Grotto, and feeding the pigs (despite the bite!) and the remoteness of the area, poor internet, mostly no phone service, paying for garbage disposal and concluded that this was definitely not a relaxing vacation. It was an adventure that helped us develop new skills, more confidence in our ability to handle bigger water, more remote anchorages, and a greater appreciation for what we have and don't have in our convenient commercialized culture.
The dichotomy of seeing 6 children waiting at a small house for their teacher to arrive vs the craziness of kids using assault rifles to kill innocent classmates at schools in the USA., forced us to reassess which culture has it right?
Our boating will be limited for a while as we attend grandchildren weddings and family reunions. We hope you all have enjoyed the adventure and hope that we have stimulated some of you to have your own adventures before the inevitable march of time and aging prevent you from fulfilling your dreams.
Signing out until next adventure.
Coming down with a "flu like" illness of nausea, joint pains, stomach pains and vomiting, I wasn't much use so Beth took over the helm. As she got more experience her moans of anxiety quieted and only aroused me when she felt uncomfortable passing a boat or narrow bridge. By the time we entered the Sebastian River to tie up at Rivers Edge Marina in St. Augustine I was well enough to help her with the swiftly moving current to get along side the T dock. The more Beth handles the boat the better and more comfortable she gets.....Maybe she can be captain for a while and I can be admiral!....NOT!
We left St Augustine early the next morning and flew up the St. John's River to Jacksonville. It seems that once the urge to get home strikes, little else matters and the push is on. Fortunately the Huckins crew were waiting on the dock to help us get tied up because, the wind was up and the current was running strong such that it took several attempts to back Betsy into her covered slip.
Sophie's last ride until the next adventure!
Once settled in, Dave one of the mechanics who worked on Betsy's refit and who installed the Simrad navigation system stepped on board and immediately went to work addressing all the issues I was blabbering about. He immediately fixed the packing gland leak, turning the big nut by hand!.... Apparently I couldn't see one of the two cotter pins that was preventing me from turning the nut with a monkey wrench! A list of repairs was generated as Beth began cleaning the boat inside and packing for our return to Port St. Joe.
A secure nights rest had us both in much better spirits the next day. Sophie and Spencer both seem to like the local groomer so Beth had her give them their summer cuts before we loaded them into the car for our 4 hour drive back home.
As we drove we talked about the Exumas, the beauty of the clear turquoise water, the sandy beaches, the friendly people of Staniel Cay and Nassau, the fun of snorkeling Thunderball Grotto, and feeding the pigs (despite the bite!) and the remoteness of the area, poor internet, mostly no phone service, paying for garbage disposal and concluded that this was definitely not a relaxing vacation. It was an adventure that helped us develop new skills, more confidence in our ability to handle bigger water, more remote anchorages, and a greater appreciation for what we have and don't have in our convenient commercialized culture.
The dichotomy of seeing 6 children waiting at a small house for their teacher to arrive vs the craziness of kids using assault rifles to kill innocent classmates at schools in the USA., forced us to reassess which culture has it right?
Our boating will be limited for a while as we attend grandchildren weddings and family reunions. We hope you all have enjoyed the adventure and hope that we have stimulated some of you to have your own adventures before the inevitable march of time and aging prevent you from fulfilling your dreams.
Sunday, April 29, 2018
Nassau to Bimini to Back in the USA
Watching the weather intensely, we finally picked what looked like the best wind and sea conditions to get across the "Tongue of the Ocean" between Nassau and Chub Cay in the Berry Islands (remember on a good weather prediction going down we got our asses kicked!). This time we intended on passing Chub Cay to get on to the calmer Bahamas Bank and either anchor at Honeymoon Harbor or if the conditions were right and we made good time, cross the gulf stream to Fort Lauderdale.
Bang! We nailed most of it. A little rough when we first pulled out, it smoothed out for us once we got up on plane. Thank you Huckins. This boat has been mechanically sound and smooth running, able to take more heavy seas than either Beth and I would prefer.
We passed Lucky One about 10 miles out of port and checked with them to see if they needed me to shadow them, since Huen was still struggling with broken shifters, oil loss from his port motor and and was taking on water from his packing glands. Linda laughed and indicated they were fine telling us to go on ahead. Lucky One was wallowing from the sea swells and they knew if I traveled at that speed I would most likely get sea sick.
Once on the Bahama Bank, the sea swells stopped and we cruised at 20 knots all the way to Gun Cay, the passage through to the gulf stream. As we eased through the narrow shallow passage way and navigated slowly through the shifting sand and strong current we entered some larger waves. At first I thought it was just that the tide had shifted but as we got further off shore.....the admiral spoke, "This is bullshit! Its too rough! The dogs are scared! Redirect to Bimini!"
Coming across the Bahama Banks....smooth and clear....lots of starfish.
My plans for a feather in my cap to travel from Nassau to Fort Lauderdale were thwarted. We rocked and rolled our way into Blue Water Marina in Bimini, settled in to our slip, broke out the cocktails and grilled some steaks. The Admiral was right. Even though we stopped early (leaving Nassau at 06:30 and arriving in Bimini at 2:00), it was much more relaxing to stop early to enjoy the last of our time in the Bahamas.
Next to us was a sailboat from Blue Hill, Maine. They were waiting on parts from the states and we enjoyed talking to some fellow Maniacs about how they were enjoying being out of the snow. One of them put 1,000 miles on his snowmobile over the winter.
Lucky One decided to anchor out at Honeymoon Harbor and left to cross the gulf stream early the next morning. The Admiral opted to wait until later in the morning as the prediction was for the stream to settle down to one foot. Ah! A lazy morning to enjoy in bed, the fragrant smell of coffee, bacon, home fries wafting down from the galley, the puppies snuggled up beside me.
Finally it was time to tackle the Gulf Stream. As we pulled out of Bimini, Beth rocked up and down on deck as she was storing the lines and fenders. In the shallows it was rough and the puppies got that wide eyed look of "No not again!" in their eyes, but as we got up on plane things settled down and they curled up on the seat beside me. Interestingly, we experienced turbulence mainly on the east and west walls of the Gulf Stream, the center being relatively calm. Beth's predictions were right on and we felt we got the best weather window possible, with 10 knot winds, 1 foot waves and only 1 foot swells. We flew across the Gulf Stream.
Lucky One arrived before us and as we tried to join them in Dania Beach, informed us that they totally lost their port engine on arriving at the Sea Buoy off of Fort Lauderdale. They had to work their way in at low tide, to a congested marina on one engine. We arrived just as they were tying up and with no place to dock, decided to go back out. Mistake! As we idled through a very shallow spot our starboard propeller grounded shutting down the motor and the port engine pushed us more toward the shallow water, totally grounding the boat. Crap! I had to come all the way back here to have a mishap, but I could only reflect that it was a minuscule problem compared to the multitude of problems that Lucky One had encountered and effectively dealt with to complete this entire adventure. We relaxed waiting for the tide to come in, taking the opportunity to check all of our strainers for any debris that might have gotten sucked in and created a clog, clearing customs and immigration by video conference on our phone and coming up with the plan to continue on up the coast to an open marina for dockage. We wouldn't be able to have a final farewell dinner with Lucky One but knew that with Huen's capabilities, they would be fine.
As we continued along the ICW, Beth and I discussed how even though we had to wait for multiple bridge openings, it seemed easier than rocking and rolling in the ocean waves. " After all there really wasn't much to see out there in the big blue," she commented, " And just look at the exquisitely maintained mansions lining both sides of this waterway". We felt safe....but were we?
Beth noticed it first. She said she could hear it! As I looked at her quizzically, the VHF radio burst into a very loud siren, then an announcement, " Take immediate shelter, high winds, rain with the possibility of hail and the formation of water spouts that can overturn boats," was emphasized by forbidding black clouds swirling ahead of us and sharp cloud to ground lightning flashing on both sides of the waterway! Waiting for the terminally long bridge opening ahead, the deluge swept in with gusting rain blinding us from even seeing the bridge. I struggled with the wind and current to keep Betsy centered, trying to keep the nose into the wind, trying to keep the boat off of the cement walls and docks lining both sides of the waterway, made even more difficult by the wipers inability to keep the streaming water off the windshields. The afternoon thunderstorm threatened us all the way to Boynton Beach, but eventually blew through, off toward the Bahamas.
Exhausted, we tied up at the marina. Too tired to cook, we sauntered over to the restaurant (2 Georges) and much to our surprise had an excellent meal, Beth thrilled with the Tuna Thai salad and me enjoying the blackened Mahi and of course a few tasty libations.
Mama duck and babies cruising by Betsy at dock.
A restful nights sleep and heading north in the morning.
Bang! We nailed most of it. A little rough when we first pulled out, it smoothed out for us once we got up on plane. Thank you Huckins. This boat has been mechanically sound and smooth running, able to take more heavy seas than either Beth and I would prefer.
We passed Lucky One about 10 miles out of port and checked with them to see if they needed me to shadow them, since Huen was still struggling with broken shifters, oil loss from his port motor and and was taking on water from his packing glands. Linda laughed and indicated they were fine telling us to go on ahead. Lucky One was wallowing from the sea swells and they knew if I traveled at that speed I would most likely get sea sick.
Once on the Bahama Bank, the sea swells stopped and we cruised at 20 knots all the way to Gun Cay, the passage through to the gulf stream. As we eased through the narrow shallow passage way and navigated slowly through the shifting sand and strong current we entered some larger waves. At first I thought it was just that the tide had shifted but as we got further off shore.....the admiral spoke, "This is bullshit! Its too rough! The dogs are scared! Redirect to Bimini!"
My plans for a feather in my cap to travel from Nassau to Fort Lauderdale were thwarted. We rocked and rolled our way into Blue Water Marina in Bimini, settled in to our slip, broke out the cocktails and grilled some steaks. The Admiral was right. Even though we stopped early (leaving Nassau at 06:30 and arriving in Bimini at 2:00), it was much more relaxing to stop early to enjoy the last of our time in the Bahamas.
Next to us was a sailboat from Blue Hill, Maine. They were waiting on parts from the states and we enjoyed talking to some fellow Maniacs about how they were enjoying being out of the snow. One of them put 1,000 miles on his snowmobile over the winter.
Lucky One decided to anchor out at Honeymoon Harbor and left to cross the gulf stream early the next morning. The Admiral opted to wait until later in the morning as the prediction was for the stream to settle down to one foot. Ah! A lazy morning to enjoy in bed, the fragrant smell of coffee, bacon, home fries wafting down from the galley, the puppies snuggled up beside me.
Finally it was time to tackle the Gulf Stream. As we pulled out of Bimini, Beth rocked up and down on deck as she was storing the lines and fenders. In the shallows it was rough and the puppies got that wide eyed look of "No not again!" in their eyes, but as we got up on plane things settled down and they curled up on the seat beside me. Interestingly, we experienced turbulence mainly on the east and west walls of the Gulf Stream, the center being relatively calm. Beth's predictions were right on and we felt we got the best weather window possible, with 10 knot winds, 1 foot waves and only 1 foot swells. We flew across the Gulf Stream.
Lucky One arrived before us and as we tried to join them in Dania Beach, informed us that they totally lost their port engine on arriving at the Sea Buoy off of Fort Lauderdale. They had to work their way in at low tide, to a congested marina on one engine. We arrived just as they were tying up and with no place to dock, decided to go back out. Mistake! As we idled through a very shallow spot our starboard propeller grounded shutting down the motor and the port engine pushed us more toward the shallow water, totally grounding the boat. Crap! I had to come all the way back here to have a mishap, but I could only reflect that it was a minuscule problem compared to the multitude of problems that Lucky One had encountered and effectively dealt with to complete this entire adventure. We relaxed waiting for the tide to come in, taking the opportunity to check all of our strainers for any debris that might have gotten sucked in and created a clog, clearing customs and immigration by video conference on our phone and coming up with the plan to continue on up the coast to an open marina for dockage. We wouldn't be able to have a final farewell dinner with Lucky One but knew that with Huen's capabilities, they would be fine.
As we continued along the ICW, Beth and I discussed how even though we had to wait for multiple bridge openings, it seemed easier than rocking and rolling in the ocean waves. " After all there really wasn't much to see out there in the big blue," she commented, " And just look at the exquisitely maintained mansions lining both sides of this waterway". We felt safe....but were we?
Beth noticed it first. She said she could hear it! As I looked at her quizzically, the VHF radio burst into a very loud siren, then an announcement, " Take immediate shelter, high winds, rain with the possibility of hail and the formation of water spouts that can overturn boats," was emphasized by forbidding black clouds swirling ahead of us and sharp cloud to ground lightning flashing on both sides of the waterway! Waiting for the terminally long bridge opening ahead, the deluge swept in with gusting rain blinding us from even seeing the bridge. I struggled with the wind and current to keep Betsy centered, trying to keep the nose into the wind, trying to keep the boat off of the cement walls and docks lining both sides of the waterway, made even more difficult by the wipers inability to keep the streaming water off the windshields. The afternoon thunderstorm threatened us all the way to Boynton Beach, but eventually blew through, off toward the Bahamas.
Exhausted, we tied up at the marina. Too tired to cook, we sauntered over to the restaurant (2 Georges) and much to our surprise had an excellent meal, Beth thrilled with the Tuna Thai salad and me enjoying the blackened Mahi and of course a few tasty libations.
Mama duck and babies cruising by Betsy at dock.
A restful nights sleep and heading north in the morning.
Back to Nassau
Lucky One left Staniel Cay before us as we were getting fuel. A calm sea with only a few waves that crossed our path when transversing the openings between the islands allowed us to power up to 2100 rpms and an 18 knot cruise, relax with feet up on the helm, relive and laugh at the previous days adventures and enjoy the smooth ride. As we passed each island our memories were revived, each adventure specific to each island and anchorage that we experienced on the way down to Staniel Cay and we discussed how our expectations of calm serene anchorages, conditions smooth enough to sail the dingy, relaxed picnics on the beach had been somewhat unrealistic.
Four day post Mama Karma Pig Bite
Noting a few clouds on the horizon, I checked the radar to see rain ahead that would cross our path and could not be avoided since it would strike exactly over the dog legged path I plotted to avoid the coral heads of the yellow banks. The sky darkened and the rain began to fall, light at first than increasing with a little more wind, streaming water down the side and front windows, washing away the crusted salt accumulation on the rails and sides of the boat, cooling the entire helm. Fortunately there was no lightning and our speed kept the agitated waves from rolling the boat. As we neared Nassau the sun came out, the rain stopped and we glided into harbor on shining flat calm seas.
We settled into our slips and helped Lucky One get tied up. A few days to explore Nassau allowed us to experience some more of the down town and the ghetto and Huen to have his first ever city Bus Ride...."Not my cup of tea!" quipped Huen.
Having a refreshment downtown Nassau where the cruse ships dock.
Local Rum Cake Factory. Yum. We stocked up!
Beth approached a local conch diver cleaning his catch near the marina.
Marshall said, " I've been doing this for 60 years, Mam. If you want any conch or conch shells you can have them for 2 to 3 dollars apiece. I sell the meat to the local restaurants so it would be more if you want the whole conch."
Marshall's Conch Cleaning Station
Huen and Linda looking over Marshall's Conch
Beth and Marshall
Beth immediately noted how much more intense the conch colors were compared to Florida conch shells and purchased several of them to give out as souvenirs to friends back home. She also asked him to make one into a shell that she could blow. Later she found a conch seller downtown who made one she could blow and inscribed it for her with "Betsy 2018 Bahamas" which she says will stay on the boat as long as we are owners. Maybe before we get back she will actually be able to get a sound out of it! Its hilarious to watch her practice.
An exploration of the local zoo left us somewhat disappointed to see the animals, such as the ring tailed lemur not in the best of health, but thrilled with the parrot feeding and flamingo show. They are doing the best they can but need more financial help. We did our part to support them.
Being Silly!
With the cruise liners arriving 3 to 4 per day the tourist industry is booming for Nassau downtown jewellery stores, bistros and restaurants but seems expensive such that the locals would rather spend their money on more affordable fare. Bahamian food is healthy fresh fish and conch salad with local spices which Beth and Linda raved about. Huen got a local preparation and will no doubt prepare it just as well. I will stick to the fresh Mahi.
Our final dining experience was at Lucianno's (from Chicago). A 5 star rated Italian restaurant that was within walking distance of the Marina. A bottle of Sicialian red enhanced the catch of the day which was fresh grouper for Beth and was emboldened my choice of true Italian lasagna. Waiters with black shirts, bow ties and long white aprons with white towels draped over their arm emphasized that this was dining at its finest. Both of us commented that this really was the best meal of our whole trip.
At the marina not only do we pay slip fees, electric fees water usage fees but a 7% value added tax is tacked on to the total and American money is at par with Bahamian money so that often you get Bahamian currency for change.... On top of that you get an additional 5% service charge on Mastercard or Visa and 7% on American Express. I can tell you Bahamian money is not accepted at par back in the U.S.A
We are waiting a 3 day weather window to return directly from Nassau to Bimini in one day and Bimini to Fort Lauderdale the next. So far it looks like we may be able to leave this Thursday and be in the US on Friday.....we will see!
Noting a few clouds on the horizon, I checked the radar to see rain ahead that would cross our path and could not be avoided since it would strike exactly over the dog legged path I plotted to avoid the coral heads of the yellow banks. The sky darkened and the rain began to fall, light at first than increasing with a little more wind, streaming water down the side and front windows, washing away the crusted salt accumulation on the rails and sides of the boat, cooling the entire helm. Fortunately there was no lightning and our speed kept the agitated waves from rolling the boat. As we neared Nassau the sun came out, the rain stopped and we glided into harbor on shining flat calm seas.
We settled into our slips and helped Lucky One get tied up. A few days to explore Nassau allowed us to experience some more of the down town and the ghetto and Huen to have his first ever city Bus Ride...."Not my cup of tea!" quipped Huen.
Having a refreshment downtown Nassau where the cruse ships dock.
Beth approached a local conch diver cleaning his catch near the marina.
Marshall said, " I've been doing this for 60 years, Mam. If you want any conch or conch shells you can have them for 2 to 3 dollars apiece. I sell the meat to the local restaurants so it would be more if you want the whole conch."
Marshall's Conch Cleaning Station
Beth immediately noted how much more intense the conch colors were compared to Florida conch shells and purchased several of them to give out as souvenirs to friends back home. She also asked him to make one into a shell that she could blow. Later she found a conch seller downtown who made one she could blow and inscribed it for her with "Betsy 2018 Bahamas" which she says will stay on the boat as long as we are owners. Maybe before we get back she will actually be able to get a sound out of it! Its hilarious to watch her practice.
An exploration of the local zoo left us somewhat disappointed to see the animals, such as the ring tailed lemur not in the best of health, but thrilled with the parrot feeding and flamingo show. They are doing the best they can but need more financial help. We did our part to support them.
With the cruise liners arriving 3 to 4 per day the tourist industry is booming for Nassau downtown jewellery stores, bistros and restaurants but seems expensive such that the locals would rather spend their money on more affordable fare. Bahamian food is healthy fresh fish and conch salad with local spices which Beth and Linda raved about. Huen got a local preparation and will no doubt prepare it just as well. I will stick to the fresh Mahi.
Our final dining experience was at Lucianno's (from Chicago). A 5 star rated Italian restaurant that was within walking distance of the Marina. A bottle of Sicialian red enhanced the catch of the day which was fresh grouper for Beth and was emboldened my choice of true Italian lasagna. Waiters with black shirts, bow ties and long white aprons with white towels draped over their arm emphasized that this was dining at its finest. Both of us commented that this really was the best meal of our whole trip.
At the marina not only do we pay slip fees, electric fees water usage fees but a 7% value added tax is tacked on to the total and American money is at par with Bahamian money so that often you get Bahamian currency for change.... On top of that you get an additional 5% service charge on Mastercard or Visa and 7% on American Express. I can tell you Bahamian money is not accepted at par back in the U.S.A
We are waiting a 3 day weather window to return directly from Nassau to Bimini in one day and Bimini to Fort Lauderdale the next. So far it looks like we may be able to leave this Thursday and be in the US on Friday.....we will see!
Tuesday, April 24, 2018
Staniel Cay/Biting Pigs!/The Grotto/Conching
The stress of the wind rocked anchorages, mechanical problems with Lucky One, inability to book future spots for the boat, isolation from cell phone and internet service had all of us on edge and arguing amongst ourselves but with Beth's relentless drive ("We are going to Staniel Cay to see the pigs before turning around!"), we continued onward. Kevin, our dockmaster in Nassau grew up in Staniel Cay and convinced us that we had to see "Thunderball Grotto" and "The swimming pigs" He also told us that , " The water was so clear you feel like you are looking down 100 feet and could pick something up from the ocean floor". He spoke true. It was as he described and it lead to the best adventures of the whole trip.
Staniel Cay is home to only 80 people during most of the year and about 30 more residents during the winter season. The quintessential Bahamas that Northerners dream about with brightly painted yellow, red, blue, green, and purple trimmed houses were surrounded by brightly colored blossomed flowers allowed to grow bushy thus giving the whole area a natural wild look.
The few stores weren't hard to find, "Just look for the yellow or purple house!" we were directed and easily found the laundry place, the bakery and the depleted of stock, marine store.
Road signs we encountered during our golf cart ride around the island.
The school was a small house that had just 6 students who eagerly attended, showing up at 8:30 to wait for their teacher to arrive at 9:00. Exploring the island with Linda and Huen interfered with returning when the teacher was present so Beth and I left a bag full of toys for them before we departed.
Renting a boat we launched to see the "Swimming Pigs". One of the sailboaters told us that "It's just a bunch of pigs on the beach. Not worth the trip, really." He was so wrong! We sat a short distance from the shore and when the girls took out some carrots a big 500 lb sow swam out to the boat and opened her gaping mouth for the girls to throw in a few carrots. Beaching the boat, the girls took the food ashore to feed the baby pigs. It was fun and seemed safe enough, but as I was taking pictures I noticed a picture with a warning of the same sow who swam out to the boat. She has a history of biting! Although I informed Beth, she assured me they seemed tame enough and growing up on a farm she could handle them......All went well until Beth ran out of carrots and decided to give momma pig something that is apparently more desirable then carrots...BREAD! The sow wanted more and pushed forward, Beth turned around......and the next thing I heard was OUCH!! as the pig bit her on the Ass!
Thank You Kathy and Mike! We enjoyed our celebratory Prosecco at Staniel Cay
Needless to say the jokes started flying.
"I hope you don't get pigitis!" was the first, followed by occasional low volume growling grunts and curly tail jokes, but the best was the next morning during our coffee. Beth caught me staring at her and asked, "What are you thinking? Why are you looking at my face?"
"Nothing." I responded fighting back a growing laugh
" Yes you are, You are trying not to laugh!"
" I was just checking to see if you were growing a snout" I busted out. My arm is still sore from that punch!
Thunderball Grotto was the scene in a James Bond movie, so we went there next. Warned that slack tide was the best time to go if you aren't a strong swimmer, I hesitated. We were told that you had to exit underwater in a different direction because of the strong current. Linda went in first and came out the same entrance saying the current wasn't that strong, so I followed her, with Beth trailing behind me. Multi colored parrot fish, blue tangs, and snapper hung around the rocks and looking up there was a beautiful arched dome pierced by 3 foot wide openings that streamed light into the grotto, highlighting the rock structures and the fish. Circling around I came across a white statue of the Madonna someone had planted on the bottom. The atmosphere was serene. With Beth's and Linda's help I conquered some of my fear of swimming and we all delighted in the beauty of the grotto.
Next was Huen and Linda's attempt at conching! It seemed crazy but assured by Huen that this was something he had done before, I watched as he knotted and looped up a line, attached it to the boat and told me to drive over the coral heads as he and Linda looked into the water through their snorkeling masks. They trailed behind and when they spotted something, simply let go of the rope the momentum making it easy for them to dive to the bottom and pick up whatever they saw...no conch but they did come up with a couple of amazing star fish. We placed it back in since Beth won't take anything live out of their environment.
Having some video downloading issues with the internet here. Will post when back to the states.
Staniel Cay is home to only 80 people during most of the year and about 30 more residents during the winter season. The quintessential Bahamas that Northerners dream about with brightly painted yellow, red, blue, green, and purple trimmed houses were surrounded by brightly colored blossomed flowers allowed to grow bushy thus giving the whole area a natural wild look.
The few stores weren't hard to find, "Just look for the yellow or purple house!" we were directed and easily found the laundry place, the bakery and the depleted of stock, marine store.
The school was a small house that had just 6 students who eagerly attended, showing up at 8:30 to wait for their teacher to arrive at 9:00. Exploring the island with Linda and Huen interfered with returning when the teacher was present so Beth and I left a bag full of toys for them before we departed.
Renting a boat we launched to see the "Swimming Pigs". One of the sailboaters told us that "It's just a bunch of pigs on the beach. Not worth the trip, really." He was so wrong! We sat a short distance from the shore and when the girls took out some carrots a big 500 lb sow swam out to the boat and opened her gaping mouth for the girls to throw in a few carrots. Beaching the boat, the girls took the food ashore to feed the baby pigs. It was fun and seemed safe enough, but as I was taking pictures I noticed a picture with a warning of the same sow who swam out to the boat. She has a history of biting! Although I informed Beth, she assured me they seemed tame enough and growing up on a farm she could handle them......All went well until Beth ran out of carrots and decided to give momma pig something that is apparently more desirable then carrots...BREAD! The sow wanted more and pushed forward, Beth turned around......and the next thing I heard was OUCH!! as the pig bit her on the Ass!
Needless to say the jokes started flying.
"I hope you don't get pigitis!" was the first, followed by occasional low volume growling grunts and curly tail jokes, but the best was the next morning during our coffee. Beth caught me staring at her and asked, "What are you thinking? Why are you looking at my face?"
"Nothing." I responded fighting back a growing laugh
" Yes you are, You are trying not to laugh!"
" I was just checking to see if you were growing a snout" I busted out. My arm is still sore from that punch!
Thunderball Grotto was the scene in a James Bond movie, so we went there next. Warned that slack tide was the best time to go if you aren't a strong swimmer, I hesitated. We were told that you had to exit underwater in a different direction because of the strong current. Linda went in first and came out the same entrance saying the current wasn't that strong, so I followed her, with Beth trailing behind me. Multi colored parrot fish, blue tangs, and snapper hung around the rocks and looking up there was a beautiful arched dome pierced by 3 foot wide openings that streamed light into the grotto, highlighting the rock structures and the fish. Circling around I came across a white statue of the Madonna someone had planted on the bottom. The atmosphere was serene. With Beth's and Linda's help I conquered some of my fear of swimming and we all delighted in the beauty of the grotto.
Next was Huen and Linda's attempt at conching! It seemed crazy but assured by Huen that this was something he had done before, I watched as he knotted and looped up a line, attached it to the boat and told me to drive over the coral heads as he and Linda looked into the water through their snorkeling masks. They trailed behind and when they spotted something, simply let go of the rope the momentum making it easy for them to dive to the bottom and pick up whatever they saw...no conch but they did come up with a couple of amazing star fish. We placed it back in since Beth won't take anything live out of their environment.
Having some video downloading issues with the internet here. Will post when back to the states.
Monday, April 23, 2018
Staniel Cay Swimming with Sharks/ Crashing Yachts
A marina tiki bar was right at the end of the dock. Well mixed drinks and Caribbean music played loud enough to obscure the usual bar room din was the order of the day, and a great place to catch the local mariners advise. The treat of the day, however, was the well appointed dining lounge behind the bar. Reservations had to be made along with your order by 4:00pm for a 6:30 seating that was heralded by a ringing of the dinner bell. A well appointed dining room was enhanced by the sophistication of the food preparation. Freshly caught Mahi, blackened for Beth and seared for me
was brightly presented, moist and flavorful,so tasty we went back twice and my mouth is salivating just thinking about the meal.
In front of the tiki bar was a fish cleaning station below which hovered "pet sharks!" They were advertised as pets so we watched as people swam with the sharks. Being the brave one, Beth went in for the experience.
Crashing Yachts
A very skilled captain backed in a large yacht in the slip next to us and next to another megayacht. We marveled at his skill and the skill of the crew to get the yacht in a space that was so close to the other yacht that they had to alternate the fenders because there wasn't enough room to place them next to each other.
Departing was a different story, however. Their 25 foot assist boat was docked behind Lucky One, who was docked behind Betsy. As the megayacht slowly inched out of the slip he had to turn and back down beside all of our boats because of the shallow ledge that existed along side of us. Backing up he didn't go out far enough and the port corner of the yacht crashed into their own assist boat pushing it up onto Lucky One's inflatable dinghy than into the the wooden dock. As the dock began to snap and crack and begin to twist, I turned to tell Beth to run... but she was already gone!
I was told she kind of looked like the cartoon character the Road Runner as her feet peeled her to a safe part of the dock. There was no damage to Lucky One thanks to the protection of the inflatable dinghy.
Mega Yacht Tender that landed on Lucky One's Dinghy
Later it was our turn to be the marina threat! They wanted us on the inside of the long dock so that a 210 foot charter megayacht could come along side . Huen was the first to back around.....His transmissions locked into gear and having to throttle up because of the current he propelled backward directly toward the sailboat on the opposite dock.. The sailboaters abandoned ship running away from their boat as Lucky One hurled toward them, Linda crouched in the cockpit braced for impact! At the last second a belch of black diesel smoke spued forth and seconds before impact Lucky One dug in, halted then raced forward towards our dock! Huen had managed to get the transmissions unlocked to avoid the collision and fortunately did it again before Lucky One struck our dock....How's that for an adventure?...Honestly, I would have less grey hair if I would just watch this stuff on T.V.
We became surrounded by monsters. No, not fish. Megayachts. The last one 210 feet long blocked our view of the islands, anchorage and sunset. We decided to finish what we came to experience, the swimming pigs and the grotto snorkel both of which would turn out to be the best adventure yet.
Sunday, April 22, 2018
Shroud Cay/Hawksbill Cay/Saving the Dinghies!
Its been a while since we posted because we have been in isolated anchorages without access to phone or internet services. I will try and fill in the missing links but can't possibly detail everything.
Looking for a strong mooring because of the impending winds we quickly moved Betsy to the moorings at Shroud Cay, only an hours ride south of Highbourne Cay. A pleasant ride found us in an idyllic setting with azure blue water, proud white sandy beaches and backed by a few minor scruffy looking hills. I picked the biggest mooring ball, knowing that within 24 hours it might get rough.
The beaches and water invited us to explore so Huen, Linda and Lucky picked us up in their dinghy and to the shore we went. Spencer, Sophie and Lucky were in heaven, jumping around like little kids, chasing one another barking loudly, rolling in the sand, running from the undulating waves on the beach, finally free from the confines of the boat.
Sophie was a relentless pursuer of curly tailed ghekos and Spencer actually seemed to like being carried out into the water so he could swim back to "Mommy". Sophie eventually joined in and repeatedly tried to race Spencer back to shore. Rolling around in the sand to dry off they both got sand deep into their fur, up their nose and in their eyes. For once they seemed to enjoy their rinse off and bath, back in the boat cockpit.
Before long other boats joined us. Little did we realize that the loss of Highbourne Cay Marina would put pressure on anchoring and mooring places south. By dusk there were a total of 21 boats anchored and all the mooring balls taken, one by a 115 foot yacht on a mooring ball meant for a 65 foot boat. A serene scene at sunset soon turned into a very tumultuous scene that night. All of the boats survived but mal de mer was the order of the night on Betsy.
The next day was beautiful. A leisurely ride up a slow moving shallow stream that lead us across Shroud Cay to a beautiful beach on the Ocean side was posted for only 3 mph, but rudely interrupted by two screaming jet skis from one of the charter yachts. We put put putted over the tidal stream looking for wildlife of any sort, finally rewarded by seeing two brown and white logger head turtles. Amazed by how fast they darted out of the way of our slow moving inflatable we continued on to see several long tailed sea birds floating overhead but only scrub brush and sand flats on the banks. Finally we could smell the fresh salt water and turned a bend to see the white caps churning on a purple ocean. Walking the ankle deep sand beach I spotted a coarse rock trail that ascended steeply to a look out that revealed a 360 deg view of the entire island. Scrambling up the cliff, Huen was wishing for a lift to get back down the hill but we all made it with only a minor amount of slipping and no butt sliding.
We were able to ply our way around to come back to our original anchorage via another connecting stream when we saw another dinghy full of guys coming from a different direction. It was actually an area Beth had explored on her paddle board but had to return for lack of water depth because the tide was low.
Hawksbill Cay:
The next day we untied and took a 14 mile cruise south to Hawksbill Cay. I guess I suck at picking calm spots to anchor or maybe it was just that the winds were up but we spent another rolly night.
Warderick Wells:
We moved on to the beautiful Warderick Wells, more snorkeling and one of the worst nights we ever spent at anchor thanks to the wind whipping up to a dish closet clearing 20 to 25 knots, according to Beth. Ha! HA! I slept through most of it thanks to Antivert swallowed with a Cubra Libra.
Boo Boo Hill
Panoramic Views of the Exumas
Legend has it that it is haunted by those that have gone aground on the reefs. Cruisers leave an offering to King Neptune to be blessed with fair winds and smooth seas. Lucky One and Betsy left their offering. We can use all the help we can get.
Since we had launched Lil Betsy to take the dogs to shore the dinghy was tied up behind Betsy in the same direction as the swim platform. When the winds whipped the rollers up to 4 feet the slop from the back of the boat quickly started to fill up the dinghy. Futile efforts to use a water cannon, then a large bucket to prevent the dinghy from sinking were abandoned when Huen and Linda showed up to tow Lil Betsy to shore.
Thus, the "Dingy Episode" began!
As we approached the rocky shore before the sandy beach, Huen's dingy spun a prop...ie NO Pushy from motor! Linda and I each picked up our respective plastic oars and pulled into the 3 foot chop with all of our strength. We inched forward managing to keep the inflatable dingy from being punctured by the jagged rocks. I can only guess that the fear of the situation and of course my unbelievable newly found upper body strength were the cause of my oar snapping off the dinghy. Reacting quickl, Linda jumped overboard into chest high water, caught the nose of the dinghy and the three of us hauled both of the dinghies to shore.
"Now what!" I exclaimed after we pulled the bottom plug and emptied the sea out of Lil Betsy.
"We will just use your dinghy to pull mine back to our boat where I can repair my prop." Huen said in a calm voice.
"I have only a 2.5 hp motor. Do you think it will pull the 3 of us and your dinghy? It only carries about a gallon of fuel and we used it some yesterday, I mumbled to myself.
Seeing the look on my face Huen responded like a comment out of the movie "Captain Ron", "If she can't do it we'll just use the oars and ROW!"
So we turned the ropes around, put Linda in Lil Betsy with me and Huen in his dingy. It was my turn to save him. Putting Lil Betsy's nose into the waves, she tugged on to the rope and valiently strained her way across the frothy rolling waves, inching toward Lucky one. Fortunately, their boat was on the other side of my boat. Why fortunate? As we inched our way across the front of Betsy's anchor line the motor on Lil Betsy burped once, and quit. Immediately the waves pushed us toward Betsy.
"Huen, grab the anchor line!" Linda and I screamed in unison while frantically waving our arms since we knew Huen couldn't hear a thing without his hearing aids.
We threw Beth a line from Lil Betsy to pull us up to the swim platform then she ran and got what was left of the gasoline. Bouncing around we shloshed fuel into the tiny tank on top of the motor. After many attempts by all of us, Lil Betsy's motor kicked over and with an extra load of sea water in the dinghy we managed to get Huen, Linda and the dinghies back to their respective boats.
When I got back to Betsy, Beth looked pale,was nauseated and headed for a beer and bed. It was probably more stressful for her watching us flounder in the white water knowing that I am a poor swimmer than for us who were totally focused on the task at hand.
"Enough with the excitement," I thought. "This was supposed to be a relaxing vacation. However, as the unflappable Bob Bitchin of Lattitudes and Attitudes fame once stated. "The difference between an adventure and an ordeal is attitude!" Ya! Ya! Well I think I'm running out of attitude!
The 3 foot rollers and 2 foot seas the next day seemed tame as we cruised toward Staniel Cay. Maybe in retrospect, Bob is right. It's the tough times that make the less tough times, feel a whole lot easier.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)